Temporal lobe volume in disorders with psychotic features.

Since early neuropathological findings, temporal lobe has been related to the pathophysiology of some disorders with psychotic features. The aim of this study was to compare temporal lobe volumes and asymmetry differences in patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective and bipolar disorders, disorders that cover the whole psychotic spectrum. Temporal lobe volumes were estimated using high resolution magnetic resonance imaging in 60 subjects, 15 subjects in each patient and one healthy volunteer (control) group. There are no statistically significant differences in temporal lobe volumes among patient and control groups. Comparison of left and right temporal lobes shows that left temporal lobes are smaller than right temporal lobes, however this difference reaches statistical significance only in groups of patients with schizoaffective and bipolar disorders. Overall temporal lobe volume may be less informative in respect to neuropathology of disorders with psychotic features than volumes of specific temporal lobe structures, in particular medial temporal lobe structures.